Method of producing radio tube grids



June 11, 1935. H. KERSHAW 2,004,246 METHOD OF PRODUCING RADIO TUBE GRIDS i F iled D60.6, 192 4 7 2' Sheets-Shet 1 June 11, 1935. v H. KERSHAW 2,004,246

METHOD OF PRODUCING RADIO TUBE GRIDS Filed Dec. 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'grid wires tion of the .de .rods. After the completion of at least one grid the cycle of operation may be regarded as' arranging the pair of side rods between the sets of grid wires, welding or attaching the grid wires to the side rods, cutting off the side rods, cutting the grid wires between the side rods, longitudinally advancing the sets of grid wires for a distanceto determine the width of the grid,

finsertfng another pair of side rods between the sets ,of grid wires at the same guiding point, cuttinzg off the second pair of side rods, expanding tlle partly completed grid (which may be omitted at thispoint in the method) and then cutting the between the second pair of side rods. v It isp'referred that the side rods which are disposed side by side should be in close or substantial contacting relation as this will cause the cut ends of the grid'wires to be short and these short ends maybe bent inwardly about the side rods,whereby it is unnecessary to trim such short ends, but the distance between the pairs of side rods may be varied, if desired.

The invention is not restricted to. the produc- :tion of a grid having the flat shape as shown, as

' the grid may be formed in any suitable shape and the mandrel will then have a correspondingly suitable shape.

It is to be understood that the form of my method herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the order of the steps of the method may be resorted to and other devices employed in the practice of the method, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope'of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting spaced sets of spaced grid wires in such a manner that the corresponding wires in the sets are in substantial alignment, moving the sets of wires longitudinally as a unit, holding the side rods against movement in a position between the sets of grid wires, and attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of the side rods.

2. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting sets of grid wires in spaced relation and moving such sets longitudinally while guiding the wires in each set for maintaining them properly spaced, supporting side rods in a position between the sets of grid wires, attaching the sets of grid wires to the side rods, and cutting the grid wires between the side rods.

'3. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of holding side rods against movement, supporting spaced sets of grid wires and moving them longitudinally and transversely of the side rods, moving the side rods longitudinally so that they travel transversely of the sets of grid wires and are positioned between such sets, attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of the side rods, and cutting the grid wires between the side rods.

4. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting pairs of side rods in succession at the same point with the rods in each pair in close relation while arranging sets of grid wires upon opposite sides of each pair of side rods, attaching the sets ofgrid wires to the opposite sides of the side rods, moving the sets of grid wires longitudinally, and cutting the sets of grid wires between the closely arranged pair ofv side rods.

5. In a method of producing radio tube grids,-

the steps of arranging sets of grid wires in spaced relation, supporting a pair of side rods in close relation and transversely of and between the sets of grid wires, attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of the side rods, and cutting the sets of grid wires between the closely arranged-side rods and bending the ends of the cut grid wires inwardly about the side rods.

6. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of arranging sets of spaced grid wires upon opposite sides of a pair of side rods disposed in such close relation that their sides substantially contact with the side rods being arranged transversely of the grid wires, attaching the sets orgrid wires to the opposite sides of the side rods, and cutting the sets of grid wires between the side rods and bending the cut ends of the grid wires inwardly about the side rods.

7. In a method of producing radio tube grids,

the steps of supporting spaced sets of grid wires and imparting to saidsets a step-by-step movement in a longitudinal direction, passing a pair of side rods arranged side by side in close relation transversely of the sets of grid wires and between the same between each step movement of said sets of grid wires, attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of the pair of side rods for producing a partly formed grid, stretching the grid wires of the partly formed grid to impart to the same the desired size, and cutting the sets of grid wires between the pair of side rods for completing the grid.

8. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting spaced sets of grid wires and imparting to said sets a step-by-step movement in a longitudinal direction, effecting a longitudinal movement of a pair of side rods arranged side byside in close relation to cause the wires and between the same between each stepby-step movement of said sets of grid wires, moving the sets of grid wires into contact with the opposite sides of the side rods and welding the grid wires to the side rods and holding the welded grid'wires and side rods for producing a partly formed grid, subjecting the grid wires of the partly formed grid to a stretching action to impart to the same a proper size, cutting the pair of same to travel transversely of the sets of grid side rods, releasing the holding action of the welded grid wires and side rods, and cutting the sets of grid wires between the pair of side rods.

9. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting spaced sets of grid wires and imparting to said sets a step movement in a longitudinal direction, effecting a longitudinal step movement of apair of side rods arranged side-by-side to cause the rods to pass. transversely of the sets of grid wires and between the same, welding the sets of grid wires to the side rods and holding the welded grid wires and side rods for producing a partly formed grid, subjecting the grid wires of the partly formed grid to a stretching action to impart to the same a proper size, cutting the side rods, releasing the holding action upon the welded grid wires and side rods and supporting one side rod, and cutting the sets of grid wires between the pair of side rods. I

10. In a method of producing radio tube grids, providing spaced sets of separate grid wires, attaching a side rod to the leading ends of such sets, passing an expansible and collapsible man drel between said sets and in engagement with the side rod, passing a pair of side rods transversely of the said sets and etween the same,

and in engagement with the mandrel, moving oppositely arrangedjaws into engagement with the sets of grid wires to weld the same to the pair of "side rods and to then hold the welded grid wires and side-rods, expanding the mandrel so that it acts upon the first" named side rod and stretches the grid wires of the partly formed grid to size the same, collapsing the mandrel and removing the same from within the partly formed grid, cutting the pair of side rods, passing the collapsed mandrel between said sets of grid wires and rearwardly of the trailing side rod of said pair to support the same, moving the jaws from the pair of side rods, and then moving an oppo sitely arranged pair of blades toward the pair of side rods to cut the grid wires between such pair of side rods.

11. In a method of producing radio tube grids, assembling the sets of spaced grid wires, assembling a pair of side rods side by side in close relation and arranging the same between said sets and transversely of said sets at a given point, welding said sets of wires to the side rods, cutting the wires between the side rods, longitudinally advancing the sets of wires for a distance to determine the width of the grid, arranging another similar pair of side rods between the sets of wires and transversely thereof at the given point, welding the sets of wires to the second pairof side rods, and cutting the wires between the second pair of side rods.

12. In a method of producing radio tube grids,

assembling sets of spaced grid wires, assembling a pair of side rods side by side in close relation and arranging the same between said sets of wires and transversely thereof at a given point, welding said sets of wires to the side rods, cutting the wires between the side rods, longitudinally advancing the sets of wires for a distance with respect to the given point to' determine the width of the grid, arranginganother pair of similar side rods between the sets of wires and trans- 'versely thereof at the given point, welding the sets of wires to the second pair of side rods to produce a partly completed grid, expanding the partly completed grid to stretchthe wires thereof and to impart to the same a selected width, and then cutting the wires between the second pair of side rods to complete the grid. 13. The method of forming a radio tube grid, comprising supporting side rods, substantially simultaneously arranging separate spaced sets of grid wires upon the opposite sides of each side rod, and substantially simultaneously attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of each side rod. 14. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting sets of grid wires in spaced relation, supporting side rods and effecting a relative movement between the side rods and the se of grid wires for arranging-the sets of side rods between the sets of grid wires and transversely of the sets of grid wires, and attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of each side rod. I

15. ha method ofproducing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting sets of grid wires in spaced relation, supporting side rods near the sets of grid wires-moving the sets of grid wires in a longitudinaldirection, effecting a relative 'movement between the side rods and the sets of grid' wires for arranging the side rods transversely of and between the sets oi gridwires, attaching the wires, and subsequently wires, arranging and supporting side rods trans-' versely of and between the sets of spaced-grid wires to the opposite sides of each side rod.

17. In a method ofproducing radio tube grids',--.

the steps of supporting sets of spaced grid wires in spaced relation, arranging and supporting side rods transversely of and between the sets of spaced grid wires,- and substantially simultaneously pressing the sets of grid wires into contact with the opposite sides of each side rod and at-' taching the sets of of each side rod.

18. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting in spaced relation sets of spaced grid wires, moving the sets of spaced grid wires longitudinally as a unit, arranging and supporting side rods transversely of and between the sets of grid wires, and attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of each side rod.

19. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of assembling grid wires in generally parallel spaced relation to provide separate sets of the same, supporting the sets of spaced grid grid wires to theopposite sides wires inspaced relation, arranging and suppoi'ting side rods transversely of and between the sets of grid wires at a selected location, attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of each side rod, cutting the sets of grid wires between the side rods, efiecting the longitudinal travel of the sets of grid wires for a distance to determine substantially the width'of the grid, again arranging and supporting side rods transversely of andbetween the sets of grid wires, attaching the grid wires to the opposite sides of each of the last named side rods, and cutting the grid wires between the last named side rods. 20. In a method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting in spaced relation sets of spaced grid wires, supporting side rods exteriorly of the sets of spaced grid wires and efiecting the longitudinal movement of the side rods to arrange them transversely of and between the sets of grid wires, and then moving the sets of grid wires into engagement with the side rods and attaching the sets of grid wires to the opposite sides of each side rod.

21. Ina method of producing radio tube grids, the steps of supporting in spaced relation sets of spaced grid wires, supporting side rods exteriorly attaching the sets of grid them transversely of and between the sets of grid wires, moving the sets of grid wires into engagement withlj the opposite sides of each side rod'and' attaching the same to the opposite sides of each side rod, and cutting the sets of grid wires between the side rods.

22. In a method of producing radio tube grids,

- the steps of supporting in spaced relation sets of spaced grid wires, arranging and supporting side rods transversely of and between the sets of grid wires, and substantially simultaneously moving the sets of grid wires toward the opposite sides of each side rod and attaching the same to slich opposite sides.

HENRY KERSHAW. 

